The cheapest fund (UniSuper) charges $170/year while the most expensive (LegalSuper) charges $328/year — a difference of $158 per year. Compounded at 7% annual growth over 30 years, this gap grows to $16,020 in lost retirement savings.
All 19 Funds Ranked by Total Fee at $25,000
Total fee = admin fee (flat) + admin fee (%) + investment fee + indirect cost ratio, applied to a $25,000 balance.
| # | Fund | Admin $ | Admin % | Inv. Fee | ICR | Total $/yr | Total % | 10yr Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UniSuper | $60 | 0.04% | 0.36% | 0.04% | $170 | 0.68% | 8.50% |
| 2 | REST | $78 | — | 0.48% | 0.06% | $213 | 0.85% | 7.80% |
| 3 | Australian Retirement Trust | $78 | 0.10% | 0.42% | 0.05% | $220 | 0.88% | 8.60% |
| 4 | Hostplus | $78 | 0.02% | 0.52% | 0.08% | $233 | 0.93% | 9.00% |
| 5 | Cbus | $78 | — | 0.58% | 0.05% | $236 | 0.94% | 8.40% |
| 6 | HESTA | $78 | 0.08% | 0.48% | 0.10% | $243 | 0.97% | 8.30% |
| 7 | Aware Super | $52 | 0.18% | 0.52% | 0.08% | $247 | 0.99% | 8.10% |
| 8 | Active Super | $78 | 0.15% | 0.48% | 0.05% | $248 | 0.99% | 7.50% |
| 9 | LUCRF Super | $91 | 0.10% | 0.48% | 0.05% | $248 | 0.99% | 7.50% |
| 10 | CareSuper | $78 | 0.09% | 0.55% | 0.05% | $250 | 1.00% | 8.00% |
| 11 | Spirit Super | $78 | 0.14% | 0.50% | 0.06% | $253 | 1.01% | 7.50% |
| 12 | Vision Super | $78 | 0.16% | 0.48% | 0.06% | $253 | 1.01% | 7.20% |
| 13 | Media Super | $78 | 0.18% | 0.48% | 0.06% | $258 | 1.03% | 7.20% |
| 14 | Equip Super | $78 | 0.16% | 0.50% | 0.06% | $258 | 1.03% | 7.80% |
| 15 | Brighter Super | $78 | 0.18% | 0.48% | 0.06% | $258 | 1.03% | 7.50% |
| 16 | AustralianSuper | $137 | — | 0.46% | 0.05% | $264 | 1.06% | 8.90% |
| 17 | First Super | $85 | 0.20% | 0.48% | 0.08% | $275 | 1.10% | 7.20% |
| 18 | Mine Super | $104 | 0.15% | 0.50% | 0.06% | $282 | 1.13% | 7.50% |
| 19 | LegalSuper | $156 | 0.18% | 0.45% | 0.06% | $328 | 1.31% | 7.00% |
Key Observations at $25,000
- The cheapest fund at this balance is UniSuper at $170/year (0.68% of balance).
- The most expensive is LegalSuper at $328/year (1.31% of balance).
- The $158/year difference compounds to $16,020 over 30 years at 7% growth.
- Lower fees do not guarantee better outcomes — net-of-fee returns matter more. Some higher-fee funds outperform after costs.
These rankings use a flat $25,000 balance. Use our comparison calculator to see how fees and returns compare at your real balance and contribution level.
Compare at Other Balances
$10,000 $25,000 $50,000 $100,000 $250,000 $500,000
Fee rankings shift at different balances. Funds with high flat fees penalise smaller balances, while funds with high percentage fees become expensive at larger balances.